Radio frequency circuit and communication device module

Abstract

A radio frequency circuit is described, which comprises a first power amplifier comprising a first output, a second power amplifier comprising a second output, a third power amplifier comprising a third output, and a fourth power amplifier comprising a fourth output. The first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier and the fourth power amplifier are configured to perform an amplification based on a radio communication signal to produce a first amplifier output signal, a second amplifier output signal, a third amplifier output signal, and a fourth amplifier output signal. Furthermore, the present application also relates to a transmitter comprising such a radio frequency amplifier circuit.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A radio frequency circuit comprising:
 a first power amplifier comprising a first output; 
 a second power amplifier comprising a second output; 
 a third power amplifier comprising a third output; and 
 a fourth power amplifier comprising a fourth output, 
 wherein:
 the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier and the fourth power amplifier are configured to perform an amplification based on a radio communication signal to produce a first amplifier output signal, a second amplifier output signal, a third amplifier output signal, and a fourth amplifier output signal, 
 the first output is configured to provide the first amplifier output signal to a first feed point of a first radiator, 
 the second output is configured to provide the second amplifier output signal to a second feed point of the first radiator, 
 the third output is configured to provide the third amplifier output signal to a third feed point of the first radiator, and 
 the fourth output is configured to provide the fourth amplifier output signal to a fourth feed point of the first radiator; 
 
 a first front end network; and 
 a second front end network,
 wherein: 
 the first output is coupled to the first feed point via the first front end network, 
 the second output is coupled to the second feed point via the first front end network, 
 the third output is coupled to the third feed point via second front end network, and 
 the fourth output is coupled to the fourth feed point via the second front end network. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The radio frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first front end network, a second front-end network, a third front end network and a fourth front end network,
 wherein the first output is coupled to the first feed point via the first front end network, 
 wherein the second output is coupled to the second feed point via the second front end network, 
 wherein the third output is coupled to the third feed point via the third front end network, 
 wherein the fourth output is coupled to the fourth feed point via the fourth front end network. 
 
     
     
       3. The radio frequency circuit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier and the fourth power amplifier are integrated into a first common integrated circuit chip. 
 
     
     
       4. The radio frequency circuit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least the first power amplifier is a differential power amplifier. 
 
     
     
       5. The radio frequency circuit according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein at least the first power amplifier comprises a first pair of single ended power amplifiers and a first combiner, each single ended power amplifier of the first pair being configured to perform an amplification based on the radio communication signal, 
 wherein the first combiner is coupled between outputs of the single ended power amplifiers of the first pair and the first output of the first power amplifier to provide the first amplifier output signal. 
 
     
     
       6. The radio frequency circuit according to  claim 1 , wherein the radio communication signal is a differential radio communication signal having a first component signal and a second component signal,
 wherein the first power amplifier is configured to perform an amplification based on the first component signal to produce the first amplifier output signal, 
 wherein the second power amplifier is configured to perform an amplification based on the second component signal to produce the second amplifier output signal, 
 wherein the third power amplifier is configured to perform an amplification based on the first component signal to produce the third amplifier output signal, and 
 wherein the fourth power amplifier is configured to perform an amplification based on the second component signal to produce the fourth amplifier output signal. 
 
     
     
       7. A radio frequency circuit comprising:
 a first power amplifier comprising a first output; 
 a second power amplifier comprising a second output; 
 a third power amplifier comprising a third output; 
 a fourth power amplifier comprising a fourth output, 
 wherein:
 the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier and the fourth power amplifier are configured to perform an amplification based on a radio communication signal to produce a first amplifier output signal, a second amplifier output signal, a third amplifier output signal, and a fourth amplifier output signal, 
 the first output is configured to provide the first amplifier output signal to a first feed point of a first radiator, 
 the second output is configured to provide the second amplifier output signal to a second feed point of the first radiator, 
 the third output is configured to provide the third amplifier output signal to a third feed point of the first radiator, and 
 the fourth output is configured to provide the fourth amplifier output signal to a fourth feed point of the first radiator; 
 
 a fifth power amplifier comprising a fifth output; 
 a sixth power amplifier comprising a sixth output; 
 a seventh power amplifier comprising a seventh output; and 
 an eighth power amplifier comprising an eighth output, 
 wherein:
 the fifth power amplifier, the sixth power amplifier, the seventh power amplifier, and the eighth power amplifier are configured to perform an amplification based on a further radio communication signal to produce a fifth amplifier output signal, a sixth amplifier output signal, a seventh amplifier output signal, and an eighth amplifier output signal, 
 the fifth output is configured to provide the fifth component signal to a fifth feed point of a second radiator, 
 the sixth output is configured to provide the sixth component signal to a sixth feed point of the second radiator, 
 the seventh output is configured to provide the seventh component signal to a seventh feed point of the second radiator, and 
 the eighth output is configured to provide the eighth component signal to an eighth feed point of the second radiator. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The radio frequency circuit according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier, the fourth power amplifier, the fifth power amplifier, the sixth power amplifier, the seventh power amplifier, and the eighth power amplifier are integrated into a common integrated circuit chip. 
 
     
     
       9. A communication device module comprising:
 a first radiator; 
 a radio frequency circuit comprising:
 a first power amplifier comprising a first output; 
 a second power amplifier comprising a second output; 
 a third power amplifier comprising a third output; and 
 a fourth power amplifier comprising a fourth output, 
 wherein:
 the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier and the fourth power amplifier are configured to perform an amplification based on a radio communication signal to produce a first amplifier output signal, a second amplifier output signal, a third amplifier output signal, and a fourth amplifier output signal, 
 the first output is configured to provide the first amplifier output signal to a first feed point of the first radiator, 
 the second output is configured to provide the second amplifier output signal to a second feed point of the first radiator, 
 the third output is configured to provide the third amplifier output signal to a third feed point of the first radiator, and 
 the fourth output is configured to provide the fourth amplifier output signal to a fourth feed point of the first radiator; 
 
 a first front end network; and 
 a second front end network,
 wherein: 
 the first output is coupled to the first feed point via the first front end network, 
 the second output is coupled to the second feed point via the first front end network, 
 the third output is coupled to the third feed point via second front end network, and 
 the fourth output is coupled to the fourth feed point via the second front end network, 
 
 
 wherein:
 the first radiator comprises a first sub-radiator and a second sub-radiator, 
 the first sub-radiator comprises the first feed point and the second feed point, and 
 the second sub-radiator comprises the third feed point and the fourth feed point. 
 
 
     
     
       10. The communication device module according to  claim 9 ,
 wherein the first sub-radiator is configured to radiate in a first polarization direction, and 
 wherein the second sub-radiator is configured to also radiate in the first polarization direction. 
 
     
     
       11. A communication device module, comprising
 a first radiator; 
 a second radiator; 
 a radio frequency circuit comprising:
 a first power amplifier comprising a first output; 
 a second power amplifier comprising a second output; 
 a third power amplifier comprising a third output; 
 a fourth power amplifier comprising a fourth output, 
 wherein:
 the first power amplifier, the second power amplifier, the third power amplifier and the fourth power amplifier are configured to perform an amplification based on a radio communication signal to produce a first amplifier output signal, a second amplifier output signal, a third amplifier output signal, and a fourth amplifier output signal, 
 the first output is configured to provide the first amplifier output signal to a first feed point of the first radiator, 
 the second output is configured to provide the second amplifier output signal to a second feed point of the first radiator, 
 the third output is configured to provide the third amplifier output signal to a third feed point of the first radiator, and 
 the fourth output is configured to provide the fourth amplifier output signal to a fourth feed point of the first radiator; 
 
 a fifth power amplifier comprising a fifth output; 
 a sixth power amplifier comprising a sixth output; 
 a seventh power amplifier comprising a seventh output; and 
 an eighth power amplifier comprising an eighth output, 
 wherein:
 the fifth power amplifier, the sixth power amplifier, the seventh power amplifier, and the eighth power amplifier are configured to perform an amplification based on a further radio communication signal to produce a fifth amplifier output signal, a sixth amplifier output signal, a seventh amplifier output signal, and an eighth amplifier output signal, 
 the fifth output is configured to provide the fifth component signal to a fifth feed point of the second radiator, 
 the sixth output is configured to provide the sixth component signal to a sixth feed point of the second radiator, 
 the seventh output is configured to provide the seventh component signal to a seventh feed point of the second radiator, and 
 the eighth output is configured to provide the eighth component signal to an eighth feed point of the second radiator, 
 
 
 wherein the first radiator comprises a first sub-radiator and a second sub-radiator ( 134 ), 
 wherein the first sub-radiator comprises the first feed point and the second feed point,
 wherein the second sub-radiator comprises the third feed point and the fourth feed point, and 
 
 wherein the second radiator comprises a third sub-radiator and a fourth sub-radiator, 
 wherein the third sub-radiator comprises the fifth feed point and the sixth feed point,
 wherein the fourth sub-radiator comprises the seventh feed point and the eighth feed point. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The communication device module according to  claim 11 ,
 wherein the first sub-radiator is configured to radiate in a first polarization direction, and 
 wherein the second sub-radiator is configured to also radiate in the first polarization direction. 
 
     
     
       13. The communication device module according to  claim 12 ,
 wherein the third sub-radiator is configured to radiate in a second polarization direction, 
 wherein the fourth sub-radiator is configured to also radiate in the second polarization direction, and 
 wherein the first polarization direction is different from the second polarization direction. 
 
     
     
       14. The communication device module according to  claim 13 , wherein the first polarization direction is perpendicular to the second polarization direction.